First Folio FAQs

Who published the First Folio? The First Folio was published by a London syndicate headed by Edward Blount and Isaac Jaggard, whose father William Jaggard printed it at his London printing shop.

How many copies of the First Folio were printed? Most likely about 750 copies were printed, of which 233 are known today. It sold well enough that a second edition (the 1632 Second Folio) was produced nine years later.

How large is the First Folio? The First Folio is about 900 pages long. Each page is about a foot tall.

How much did the First Folio cost? The scholar Peter Blayney suggests that an unbound copy of the First Folio cost 15 shillings; a copy with a plain calf binding cost a pound (20 shillings), about $200 today.

Are all copies of the First Folio the same? No. The First Folio was proofread as it was printed, creating small variations. Over time, some copies acquired notes and drawings. Copies were damaged; many have missing pages. Page edges were also trimmed for rebinding, so the page sizes now vary.

Which eighteen plays were first published in the First Folio? All's Well That Ends Well, Antony and Cleopatra, As You Like It, The Comedy of Errors, Coriolanus, Cymbeline, Henry VI, Part 1, Henry VIII, Julius Caesar, King John, Macbeth, Measure for Measure, The Taming of the Shrew, The Tempest, TImon of Athens, Twelfth Night, Two Gentlemen of Verona, and The Winter's Tale

Did Shakespeare write other plays? Yes, but not many. Besides the 36 plays in the First Folio, Shakespeare wrote Pericles and The Two Noble Kinsmen (with John Fletcher). A 39th play, Cardenio, has been lost. Some scholars have argued that Shakespeare collaborated on certain other plays.

Who are, or were, some famous owners of the First Folio? Some famous First Folio owners of the past were actors, including David Garrick (1717– 1779) in the United Kingdom and Edwin Forrest (1806–1872) in the United States. Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen bought a "perfect" First Folio in 2001 for more than 6 million dollars.